Ayurvedic Medicine – A Word Of Caution

If you had visited an Ayurvedic doctor recently and got prescribed Ayurvedic medicines, then below-mentioned are the things that you should be knowing. 

An Ayurvedic doctor may prescribe one of the following type of Ayurvedic medicines –
Ayurvedic medicine/ medicines to be purchased from an herbal store
Ayurvedic herbal medicine that he has prepared on his own.
A mixture of Ayurvedic medicines in liquid form
A mixture of herbal medicines / herbs in powder form

In whatever form the Ayurvedic doctor prescribes you the medicine, you have the right to know what actually are the ingredients of the Ayurvedic medicine / group of medicines.

You have the right
– to know the Ayurvedic medicine name that the doctor has prescribed.
– to ask him to give it in written form.
This is very important for you because –

• It will help the doctor himself to remember what he had prescribed to you on your last visit.
• In case if you decide to switch to another doctor, then the new doctor will be needing what you were taking earlier, so that he can make a better choice of herbal medicine.
• A few of the herbal products do react with Allopathic medicines that you may be taking together, so it is very important for you to know clearly what you are popping.
• Some Ayurvedic doctors would not reveal easily about what they  are prescribing, just to keep their secrets. But  my personal opinion is – it is not a good habit from a patient’s point of view.
• Self manufactured Ayurvedic herbal medicine by the doctor is perfectly fine. Sometimes, they are far better than the Ayurvedic medicines from an herbal store. But the doctor should reveal what his medicine contains to the patient.

Bottom line:

Do not accept any Ayurvedic medicine without knowing the name of it.

You may not know all the herbal ingredients of the medicine. But you should know the name of the medicine.

This rule does not only apply to Ayurveda but to the medicines of all medical systems.